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Indiana animal rights advocates are concerned about legislation they say would empower puppy mills in the state.
U.S. Humane SocietyIndiana animal rights advocates are concerned about legislation they say would empower puppy mills in the state.
House Bill 1121 and Senate Bill 134 would block local governments from banning pet store sales of what they call companion animals.
Indiana Director of the Humane Society of the United States Samantha Morton said the bills would give pet stores the ability to buy and sell cats and dogs from commercial breeders.
She said the legislation is an attack on local control.
There are 13 local humane pet store ordinances, that ban the sale of pets raised at puppy and kitten mills across Indiana.
“If the bills that have been introduced pass, actually, we would see those ordinances become unenforceable, and it would basically not let us work on any more ordinances at the local level or allow communities to decide for themselves whether or not they want to regulate pet stores in their community,” Morton said.
House Bill 1121 is scheduled to be heard in the House Agriculture Committee on Monday, Jan. 23.
Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Taylor Bennett at tbennett@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @TaylorB2213.
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